T-R PHOTOS BY ROBERT MAHARRY AND LANA BRADSTREAM/AERIAL PHOTO BY JON ROTTINK

The new and improved, two-day Red, White and Blue celebration was a hit in Marshalltown as it started in the 13th Street District Wednesday night with a car show and concert by Damon Dotson. On Thursday morning, the first ever Fourth of July parade through 13th Street and the Iowa Veterans Home campus went off without a hitch before the picnic with 100 blankets given away by Zamora Fresh Market along with inflatables, food trucks and baseball and softball games at the IVH field in the afternoon. From there, the festivities moved down to the 6th Street Softball Complex, where several musical acts including the Sears Band, the Marshalltown Community Band, Driving Blind and Elvis impersonator Joseph Hall performed, and food and drinks were available through several trucks along with more inflatable fun. The night was capped off with the fireworks show, which drew spectators from all over the area to the newly minted Red, White and Blue Capital of Iowa.